


Frogs

by CalicoJane



Series: Captain America and SHIELD, 1949 [1]
Category: Agent Carter (TV), Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Grief, Howard is a mad scientist, Mad Science, SHIELD, Steve wakes up early
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-14
Updated: 2019-12-14
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:35:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21786844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CalicoJane/pseuds/CalicoJane
Summary: It's 1949 and Howard thinks Steve could still be alive. Beginning of an AU
Relationships: Peggy Carter/Steve Rogers
Series: Captain America and SHIELD, 1949 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1570093
Comments: 4
Kudos: 25





	Frogs

**Author's Note:**

> Standard disclaimer of I own nothing. The frog research Howard cites I don't think was done till the 1990s is definitely misrepresented here, but who cares?

New York, 1949

Peggy Carter was in her office as Deputy Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. and on the phone with the director of the newly formed Central Intelligence Agency when the door was thrown open and Howard Stark burst in. 

“I told you she’s on the phone Mr. Stark!” Her secretary, Elise had come into the corner office to try to chase Howard out. 

“This is important!” Peggy sighed. Howard must have a new idea then. Mostly they were good ideas, but if it was something that needed her input he wouldn’t rest, pause, or be quiet enough for her to finish her phone call until he got it. 

“I’ll have to call you back director, something just came up,” she paused as the man on the phone agreed, then said good bye and hung up. “Howard what is so important that I just hung up on the Director of the C.I.A.?”

“It’s about Steve.”

Peggy sighed, she’d thought Howard had been doing better. “Leave us Elise.” As Elise did so, Peggy reached into her desk drawer and pulled out two tumblers and a bottle of Scotch and poured them both two fingers while motioning for Howard to sit.

“I miss him too, Howard. Do you want to talk about what happened to bring this on?”

Howard still hadn’t sat. “No. I think he might still be alive.” As Peggy stared at Howard--that had not been what she had expected him to say, she hadn’t thought he was that mad--he continued “I’ve been looking at Dr. Erskine’s notes, and that combined with new research into frogs and cryogenics. I know it sounds crazy, but there’s a possibility that when The Valkyrie hit the water the serum allowed Steve to survive being frozen, and all he needs is to be thawed correctly. Like the frogs!”

This was more than Peggy could handle, she knocked back the Scotch like her brother Michael had taught her. “Frogs?”

“The Western Chorus Frog. Every winter it freezes solid and every spring it thaws out and hops away. There was a paper that came out about it last month, that was what got me thinking about it. Do you realize what this means?” Howard asked.

“How sure are you, Howard?” She asked seriously, looking him in the eye though she had to look up to do so, since he was still standing.

Howard looked like he was thinking for a second and then said “92%”

Peggy strode over to the door and said to Elise “Get Director Phillips on the phone, tell him it’s an emergency.”


End file.
